Effect of selected fattening performance and carcass value traits on textural properties of beef

Fifty-one crossbreed young bulls, progenies of Charolais (CH), Czech Pied (CP), Simmental (SI) and Blonde d&rsquo;Aquitaine (BA) beef cattle bred at the paternal position crossed by Czech Pied at the maternal position, were reared in a typical production system and slaughtered at an average age of 578 days and live weight of 656&nbsp;kg. The animals were evaluated for fattening performance and carcass quality traits (live weight at slaughter, age at slaughter, total weight gain, carcass weight, dressing percentage, net daily gain) and meat quality characteristics (dry matter, proteins, fat, ash, pH₄₈, water holding capacity, remission, collagen, area of M. longissimus dorsi and cooking loss). Correlation coefficients were determined in order to discover which of the above-mentioned characteristics influenced textural properties measured by Warner-Bratzler (WB) shear device and compression test (TPA). It can be concluded from the overall assessment of the correlation coefficients that slaughter age (r = 0.68, P < 0.001), net daily gain (r = &ndash;0.54, P < 0.001), average lifetime daily gain (r = &ndash;0.50, P < 0.001) and pH₄₈ (r = &ndash;0.51, P < 0.001) had the major influence on the textural properties measured by WB shears. Meat texture expressed by TPA was mainly influenced by live weight at slaughter (r = 0.55, P < 0.001), carcass weight (r = 0.50, P&nbsp;< 0.001) and pH₄₈(r = &ndash;0.54, P < 0.001). Significant differences (P < 0.001) were found out for the age at slaughter (CH &times; BA) and (CP &times; BA), slaughter weight (CP &times; SI) and (CP &times; BA) and carcass weight (CP &times; BA). At the same level of significance further differences were found out for pH₄₈ and water holding capacity (CP &times; SI), (CP &times; BA) and cooking loss (CH &times; CP). Highly significant differences (P < 0.01) in the textural properties (measured by WB shears) were determined between the following breeds: (CH &times; BA) and (CP &times; BA). At the level of significance P < 0.05, the highest differences were identified between (CH &times; SI) and (CP &times; SI). TPA test showed statistically significant differences between (CH &times; CP), (CP &times; SI) breeds at the level P < 0.05. &nbsp; &nbsp;